Why did the US Senate include a CBDC ban in the housing bill?

The 21st Century Road to Housing Act includes a CBDC ban because lawmakers agreed to add the provision as part of a broader legislative compromise. The bill prohibits the Federal Reserve from creating or issuing a central bank digital currency until 2030.

What does the CBDC ban in the 21st Century Road to Housing Act mean for the Federal Reserve?

The 21st Century Road to Housing Act prevents the Federal Reserve from directly or indirectly issuing a CBDC until 2030. The legislation also requires explicit congressional authorisation before any future CBDC could proceed after the ban expires.

How is the 21st Century Road to Housing Act treating stablecoins?

The 21st Century Road to Housing Act exempts stablecoins from the CBDC restriction. The bill states that dollar-denominated currencies that are open, permissionless and private are not subject to the ban.

What does the 85-5 Senate vote on the 21st Century Road to Housing Act mean for the bill's progress?

The 21st Century Road to Housing Act passed the Senate by an 85-5 vote and now moves to the House of Representatives. Congressional leaders expect the bill to advance quickly before being sent to the president for approval.

What does the 21st Century Road to Housing Act mean for US CBDC development compared with other countries?

The 21st Century Road to Housing Act would pause Federal Reserve CBDC activity until 2030 if enacted into law. Meanwhile, according to Atlantic Council data cited in the article, three countries have launched CBDCs, 41 are in pilot programmes, 33 are in development and 40 remain in research stages.

Image for illustrative purposes only. Not a real photo.

Senate passes housing bill with CBDC ban

Written by Isaac FrancisPublished Jun 23, 2026, 6:23 AM

The US Senate passed a housing affordability bill by an 85-5 vote that includes a ban on the Federal Reserve issuing a CBDC until 2030.
The legislation is expected to move quickly through the House after a bipartisan agreement between congressional leaders.
The bill preserves an exemption for stablecoins and would still require congressional approval for any future CBDC after 2030.

The US Senate passed the 21st Century Road to Housing Act by an 85-5 vote, including a provision that prohibits the Federal Reserve from issuing or creating a central bank digital currency until 2030.

The CBDC restriction was included in a version of the bill first approved by the Senate in March and remained part of the final housing package following negotiations between House and Senate leaders.

The legislation states that the Federal Reserve may not directly or indirectly “issue or create a central bank digital currency or any digital asset that is substantially similar to a central bank digital currency.”

The bill includes an exemption for stablecoins and specifies that even after the ban expires in 2030, the Federal Reserve would still require explicit congressional authorisation before proceeding with a CBDC.

The legislation will now move to the House of Representatives, where congressional leaders expect it to pass before being sent to the president for signature, and following the announcement the Federal Reserve share price was unavailable.

Supporters of the measure have argued that CBDCs could increase government control over digital payments, while the provision was included in the housing package as part of efforts to secure broader political support for the legislation.

The vote comes as other countries continue CBDC development, with China recently expanding its digital yuan programme, while data from the Atlantic Council shows three countries have launched CBDCs, 41 are running pilots, 33 are in development and 40 remain in research stages.